Norwegian owner Ocean Yield has sealed a time charter for subsea construction vessel Lewek Connector.
The vessel will commence cable lay operations at Ørsted’s Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm project in March 2018 for a firm period of 130 days. A further 130-day option is also available at the chatterer’s option.
The charter marks the end of the Lewek Connector’s run with Emas Chiyoda Subsea (ECS). The vessel has been currently on charter to ECS, now part of Subsea 7, after the two companies signed a four month charter in February and subsequent extensions after Ocean Yield had earlier terminated the original charter for the vessel to EMAS Chiyoda Subsea over non-payment.
A request for a standstill on the original charter for the vessel in December 2016 was an early sign of trouble for EMAS Chiyoda Subsea, which later filed for bankruptcy protection in the US as did Ezra Holdings, its main shareholder at the time, soon after.